Bascule-bridge.



. specification.'

Unirse slrarns rArENT'oFFIoE.'

` ALBERT n. sonnnznn, or oHIoAGo, ILLINOIS.

BASCULE-BRIDGE.

` Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 26, 1912. Application filed July 30, 1907. Serial No. 386,254.

Areference being had to the accompanying drawings,

and to the let-ters of reference marked thereon, `which form a part of this This invention relates to improvements in i bascule or lift bridges of that kind wherein swinging span is provided with rolling seg- 'ments ,resting on stationary to av double the bridge is opened and closed by the swinging movement of a movable span or leaf in a vertical plane, and refers more specifically to an improved means for counterbalancing the movable bridge span and operating the said span to open and close the-same. y

My improvements are shown-'in the accompany/ing drawings as applied to that.'

type of bascule bridge known in the art as a rolling lift bridge, or one in which the tracks or supports, but certain of thel improvements may be adapted also to other types of bascule bridges. drawings is a single leaf bridge wherein the single leaf spans the space between the abutlnelits or supporting piers, and while certain of my improvements arev adapted to this type ofbrid e others may be as Well applied lgeaf bridge. y i y The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth,` and more particularly pointed out in theappe'nded claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bascule bridge embodyingmy Linvent'ion. Fig. 2 is a reanend View thereof, showing the span or supporting girders in l section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. F ige is a. detail section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

- as a Whole,

i of the lower chords of said trusses. The

bridge illustrated is a railway bridge and-y the floor frame thereof embraces transverse beams B1 and longitudinal stringers B2 upon whiehare supported the ties ofthe railroad track.

C designates the bridge approach at the rear end of the bridge and D the track support at lthe front or -lifting end of the bridge, which latter support may comprise a fixed or stationary bridge span. One end of saidv track supportis shown as resting on a pierE which'supports vthe front end of the leaf when th latter is in its closed position.

F F designate rolling segments located at the rear or approach'lend of the leaf. i Said 'segments are attached to or form parts of the trusses of the leaf and, asshown, are located in the planes of said trusses.

G, G designate horizontal girders which are supported on piers H, H1 and forni part of the approach C. Said girders support on their upper faces track plates indi- The bridge illustrated in saidV the single span or leaf ofthe cated as a whole by G1, upon which' the segments F, F rest and upon which they roll when the bridgeis opened and closed. Said girdersk G are hereinafter designated as track-girders. Said track-plates G1 are provided with ,means for preventin the-.slipping or shift-ing of the segments 4`, F thereon, said means comprising teeth g, g, arranged at intervals along the track-plates and adapted to efnter holes or recesses in t-he curved faces of the said segments as the said ysegments toll onthe girders. y

Attached tb the rear end of the span or leaf is a fixed counterweight, which consists of two vertically arranged parts I, I, located in the planes of the trusses, and a horigcontal part I1 extends between the trusses. lThe vertical or lateral counterweight sections I, I are lol cated between the upper ends of the .rolling segments and rear extensions a2, a2 of the upper chords of the trusses, and the trans verse counterweight section Il" extends between said lateral sections. The said counterweight sections or counter-weights I, I, I]L Operate, as is common in this class of bridges,

to counterbalance the Weight hanging end of the swinging leaf so as to permit the same tobe raised and lowered with the-use of av small amount of power.` The horizontal or transverse counterweight section I1 affords a transverse brace of the overwhichgisattached'to and byl which thetrusseslarewrigidly connected 1 with each other. The bridge illustrated heing a through bridge, the said counten weight section I1 is located at a height above.

,J of traliic beneath it.

o shown in Fig. 4. This construction in a countcrweight has the advantage of roviding the necessary weight by the use o mate` rial much cheaper than metal, While at the same time the metal inclosure therefor may be adapted to form a part of the bridge structure. As illust-rated, the inclosures for the lateral counterweightsection I, I are attached to the truss members and serve to rigidly connect' the upper ends of the rolling segments F, F with the'upper chords a, a of the trusses, while the inclosure for the counterweight section I1, serves as a cross brace for the trusses.4

The bridgeillustrated is provided, in ac-` cordance with one feature of my invention,

with a shifting or movable eounterweight l.: so constructed and arranged as to op? crate the leaf to open and close the same. To this 4end I so construct and mount said movable counterweight,` as to permit the 5 0 hereinafter referred to.

same to be moved or shifted relatively tof` the center of gravity of the leaf, and tliils i' overbalance the normally counterbalanced; bridge structure in a manner to cause thel bridge to open or close, depending upon which way the movable counterweight is shifted from its intermediate or neutral counterbalancing position. So far as this feature of my invention is concerned, the

40 movable counterweight as a whole may be made of any preferred or approved form, and the movable counterweight may be variously mounted or sustained on the span or leaf, in a manner to edect the overhalancingcof the span or leaf, for the purpose set forth. Moreover, the shifting counter- Weight may be employed as the sole counterbalancing weight for the span, or without lthe fixed eounterweight illustrated and As illustrated in the present instance, the shifting or movable -.)untcr\veight I2 is located between the fixed counterweight members I, I and is hung or suspended froma horizontal rock shaft I3 that extends between and has bear, ing in suitable bearing boxes z', z', fixed to thev upper cllgiord extensions a2, a2'. The said movable counterweight is thus adapted to be moved or shifted by tur ing or swinging the same about the axis o said rock-shaft. The said movable counterweight is, moreover, shown as being curved on its lower side, and as arranged with its apex directed upward. and; adjacent to the supporting rock-shaft I3.` The body of said counterweight I2 is so. disposed that when it hangs freely from the shaft I" the counterweight, asa whole, tends to maintain the span in an intermediate position, or neither fully openl nor closed. The shifting counter-weight I2 illustrated consists of an inclosureor shell of sheet metal, provided with filling of concrete, as hereinbefore described in connection with the fixed counterwei'ght.

Means arel provided for shifting said movable eonnterweight to overba'lance the spam, for eecting the opening or closing of the bridge. Actuating devices for s0 shifting the counterweight may in practice have a Ivariety of forms, that shown in the accompanying drawings as a convenient and practicable one consisting of an electric Inotor J which is supported in the transverse part I1 of the fixed counterweight, and a train of gears designated, as a Whole, by J1 which operates a shaft J2 provided with pinions j, j engaging circular racks 1, l on the lower curved face of the sector shaped counterweight. The said motor J` will be equipped with any suitable or well known form of brake mechanism, whereby when the movable portion of the counterweight has been shifted to the extent required for moving the bridge leaf to open or close the same, the operating machinery is locked so as toprevent said movable part of the coun-- tei'weight from. swinging farther than re- Aquiredto` properly operate the bridge.

The swinglng bridge span or leaf provided with the movable or shifting counterweight described, may be opened or closed with the use of less power than required under present practice, where the bridge leaf is operatedfthroughout its Iopening and closing movement by machinery vacting thereon for. that purpose. it being obvious that less power is required to shift the counterweight to an unbalanciug position than is required for operating the entire span as heretofore. A further and important advantage growing out of my new means for operating the sparito open and close the same is that I Aain' thereby enabled to dispense with sta- 'tionary supports heretofore employed for sustainii'ig the machinery used to operate the bridge. The cost of erecting the bridge is thereby materially reduced. It will be understood that the shifting counterweight may be Inovably supported and operated in a great variety of ways. In small bridges, the shiftingV counterweight may be prac ticably operated by hand power.

lI have shown in the drawings, devices in the nature of buffers K; K for yielding] v arf resting the movement of the brid e leaf when it reaclfes its open position. tiereby avoiding objecti ableY shocks and jars von the bridge strfture and the .stationary bearers or stops by which' the' movement of the leaf is positively limited. As shown in tion to4 act on fixed stops lrod K3, attached to-apiston in. the and-extending through the head or end of p tached to the outer end ofthe piston rod' Lean-res the drawings, two of said buffers are located at the rear end of the bridge inposi- T, (Figli), Said buders each 4embrace a c linder Kv1 horizontally andattached to a extending laterally from the rear end of the upper chord extension a2' (Fig. 2) a piston lsaid cylinder,`and a head K* which isatand adapted Afor contact with the fixed stop T.

that when, the leaf is lifted or `It will be observed that the basculebridgeknown as a illustrated is of through bridge, the span floor being located adjacent to the lower chords of the span trusses and the trackgirders G, G, which support the rolling segments F,- F,

the type being located substantially at the level of the span floor or approach roadway. In

the construction illustrated, moreover, thel several counterweights or counterweight sections I, I, I1, as well as the movable or shifting counterweight I2 are located above and forward of the upper or rear ends of the said rolling segments F, F. An important 'advantage is gained by the construction ofthe parts here referred for the reason thrownto the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. i, the counterweight or weights are not carried be,-

, low the level of the bridge floor, approach with a swinging Hoor or roadway; as will be clearly seen by said dotted 'lines in Fig. l. x

The construction by which the counterweights are substantially above the level f the bridge iioor when the bridge yis open com stitutes an 'important improvementbridges ofths class because 'enabling the tioor frame of the swinging leaf and ythe track girders which support the j-rolling segments to be located closelylfadjacent 'to dr only a short distance above-"the level of the water in a Waterway, without the necessity of constructing pits o r masonry .inclosures to receive the counterweights when the bridge open. Suchpitsjhave heretofore been employed in connection with counterweighted bascule bridges, in cases where the bridge floor is not greatly elevated above the water level, and their omission greatly lessens thecost'of construction in bridges of I-claim as my invention; i i l. In a bascule bridge, the `4 :omblnatlon leaf, of means or swinging the leaf to open and close the ridge, consisting of a shifting counterweightmounted on, and supported solely by, saidleaf and, movable on lthe leaf in a manner permittingl of gravity yin va direction endwise of the leaf, 4said counterthe shifting of its center weight when shifted affording lsufficient prearranged bracket ic cylinder which are fixed to' the trusses,

and arrangement.`

iii

Acomprising longitudinal supported onand is sustained and lrigidlyconnecting the trusses and a' shifting counterweight located above said fixed counterweight.

4. In a bascule bridge, comprising longitudinaltrusses, fixed lateral '-counterweights arranged in the planes ofl the trusses, axedcounterweight extending transversely between and rigidly connect- :ing the trusses, and ashifting counterweight ylocated between said fixed counterweights above said' transverse counterweight.

.5. Ina Abascule bridge, the combination with a swinging leaf, of means for swinging the leaf to open and close the bridge, consisting of a,counterweight which is lpivotally solely by said leaf, and which is adapted to be moved or swung about its pivotal axis in a manner to a swinging leaf shift its ,center of gravity in av horizontal direction and endwise of the leaf, said counterweight when shifted affording sufficient preponderance of weight at the #nner or outer end of the leafto produce ,epe ing and closing movement of the same, a d actuating `:ting on the f means mounted on lthe leaf and a counterweight to swing or move the "samer 6. In a bascule bridge, the combination with a swinging leaf, of means for swinging the leaf to o ing of a shi and supported-solely by, saidleaf and movable on the,leaf ina manner toshift its.

center of gravity in a horizontal direction and endwise of the leaf, said counterweight, when' shifted, affordingsuliicient preponderancev of weight at the inner or outerend of the leaf toproduce opening or closing movement of the'sa'm'e,\ and a motor mounedon en and/close the bridge, consist ting counterweight mounted on,

the leaf and acting on vthe said counteri weight to move thesame.

7. In a lbascule bridge, the combination4 `with a swinging leaf,` of means for swinging said leaf to open and close the bridge, consisting of a c ount'erweightwhich -is 'pivot-ally lsupported on and is sustained solely byfsaidleaf, and is adaptedto bemovedlor swun "about its pivotal axis in a manner to shi its center ofl gravity ina horizontal direction and 'end-wise ofthe leaf, said' counterweight, when shifted,- a'tfording suicient preponderance4 of weig'h t 'on the inner or outer end of the leaf to produce opening 0r closing movement of the saine, a inotor mounted on the leaf and gearing adapted to transmit motion from ksaid motor to the countei'weiglit for shifting the position of the same.

8. In a bascule bridge, the combination with a'swinging leaf embracing two loiigitudinal trusses, of means for swinging the .leaf to open and Close the bridge, consisting of a counterweight located between said trusses and a longitudinal shaft, affording pivotal support foisaid colinterweight, mountedl at its ends on and extending between said trusses, said counterweightbeing adapted to be swung on its pivotal axis in a manner to shiftits center of gravity in a horizontal direction and being adapted to afford suiicient preponderance of weight on the inner or outen end ofy the leaf toproduce opening or leaf.

9. In a bascule bridge, the combinati'ii with a swinging leaf, of a pivoted counter?I weight mounted thereon, a gear seglii'ent attached to the said couiiterweight, a gear pinclosiiig movement of said' ion intermesliing with the said gear seg'- inentandiiieans for actuating said pinion.

10. In a bascule bridge, the combination With a swinging leaf, of a sectorfshaped counterweight pivotally mounted on said leaf, a gear segment secured to said counterweight coneentrically With the pivoty thereof, a gear pinion interineshing with said gear segment and means for actuating' said pinion.

l1. In a. bascule bridge, the combination with a swinging leaf, of a counterweight pivotally mounted thereon, a gear segment attached to the said counterweight, a gear pinion intermeshing with said gear segment and a inotor mounted on the bridge leaf, for actuating said gear pinion.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this lst day of July A. D. 1907.

ALBERT H.) sci-IERZER.

lVitnesses:

G. R. lViLKINs, T. H. ALFREDS, 

